Topband
[Top] [All Lists]

Re: Topband: radial wire source

To: Dan Bookwalter <N8DCJ@YAHOO.COM>
Subject: Re: Topband: radial wire source
From: Lloyd Berg N9LB <lloydberg@charter.net>
Date: Tue, 5 Jun 2012 14:08:03 -0400 (EDT)
List-post: <topband@contesting.com">mailto:topband@contesting.com>
Hi Dan!

I use #12 solid solid copper THHN "house wire" - around here Menards has 
the best price, HD has gotten very expensive in the last year.

I strip the insulation off with a little jig I made utilizing an 
imbedded utility knife blade.  I like the direct copper to soil DC 
contact rather than laying insulated wire on/in the ground.  Also the 
solid bare copper wire won't leach away into the soil for 40-50 years.

Never bury bare stranded wire because it disintegrates way too fast, 
which is why the National Electrical Code requires that all ground wire 
be solid.

73

Lloyd - N9LB


On Tue, Jun 5, 2012 at 8:01 AM, Dan Bookwalter wrote:

> I think I asked something similar last fall , but , circumstances 
> changed and I couldn't do anything about it at the time...
>
> So , here I am again looking for a source of radial wire.... I was 
> thinking of either going with K2AV's FCP or a radial field.... If i go 
> with the radials I was thinking of using #14 stranded for about 15 
> radials that in theory would help absorb any lightning impulses (per 
> W8JI website) , then I was going to use whatever wire I can find for 
> the remaining 40 or 50 radials. My radial field can only cover from 
> about SW thru North over to East.
>
>
> Is there a better source for wire than Lowes/Home Depot ? I will check 
> with the local electrical distibutor , but , if I recall correctly 
> they weren't much better.... Lowes currently has 500' of #14 THHN for 
> $50 I would need about 3000 feet.
>
> Dan
> _______________________________________________
> UR RST IS ... ... ..9 QSB QSB - hw? BK
_______________________________________________
UR RST IS ... ... ..9 QSB QSB - hw? BK

<Prev in Thread] Current Thread [Next in Thread>